Spur Gears In Motion

Last time we learned about forces generated when spur gear teeth mesh and move along a specific line of action. Today we’ll see them in movement.

Looking at the illustration below it might appear that there are three teeth in contact, but this isn’t the case. As the gears rotate, only two teeth make contact at any given time, although the third tooth comes very close. The actual point of contact between the teeth is represented by a black dot on the illustration below. This is where two opposing forces, F1 andF2, meet.

Now let’s animate the illustration to see how the line of action remains constant the entire time the gear teeth are in motion. By constant I mean that this imaginary line’s position and angle does not change relative to the gears throughout the course of their movement.

In the animation, the point of contact moves along the line of action as the gears turn. Each tooth’s involute profile ensures that smooth contact is maintained along the faces and flanks of the gear teeth. The involute profile’s unique shape facilitates opposing teeth remaining in constant contact along the line of action for the duration of their movement together.

If the gear tooth profile wasn’t involute in its shape, say for example it was square or triangular, the forces acting upon the meshed teeth during movement would vary in direction and intensity as a result of uneven contact between the teeth. For example, consider the square shaped tooth profile in the gear train below.

As the gears rotate, the pointed tip of one tooth strikes the flat face of another. As they continue to turn, the two flat faces of the teeth slap together, then the pointed tip of one tooth will strike the flat face of the other tooth, and so forth. The result is movement that is jerky and destructive. There would be excessive vibration and wear and tear on the teeth, resulting in rapid gear tooth erosion and decreased efficiency overall.

Next time we’ll introduce the gear ratio, a formula which allows us to alter the rotational speed of the driven gear in relation to that of the driving gear, something which comes in handy when designing things that require this differential.